Prisons, Politics and Practices in England and Wales 1945-2020: The Operational Management Issues

by David J. Cornwell

Overview

This book presents both a survey of and commentary upon the penal process of England and Wales between 1945 and 2020 from the primary perspective of prisons and their operational management. Part I focusses on the extent to which governmental polities, changing concepts in penology and significant events affected the performance and management of prisons during four key periods: 1945-1991; 1991-1997; 1997-2007 and 2007-2020. Part II presents a vision for more effective operation of prisons within the wider penal process in the 2020s and beyond. It draws upon the author's academic insights and his experience as a former prison governor. This book speaks to those in the social sciences, law and politics and to professionals in government and in the penal system who are interested in reform.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030842772
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	09/30/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

David J. Cornwell is former Prison Governor and Consultant Criminologist focusing predominantly on issues in penal philosophy, criminal punishment, restorative justice and mediation. He is the author of seven previous books in the fields of criminology, penology and philosophy. He completed both his Master’s and Doctoral degrees at York University, UK. 

Table of Contents

Foreword.- Introduction.- PART ONE – PRISONS AND PENOLOGY: A SURVEY OF POST-WAR ENGLAND AND WALES 1945-2020.- Chapter 1 – Change and Uncertainty in Penal Strategies 1945-1991.- Chapter 2 – Prisons, Managerialism&Privatisation 1991-1997.- Chapter 3 – Re-Branding the ‘TOC’ Image: New Labour 1997-2007.- Chapter 4 – Penality and the Ministry of Justice Era 2007-2020.- PART TWO – A VISION FOR PRISONS OF THE FUTURE.- Chapter 5 – Strategic Management of Prisons: Structure&Style.- Chapter 6 – Towards ‘Doing Justice Better’.- Chapter 7 – Making Prisons Fit for Purpose.- Chapter 8 – Beyond the Prison Walls.- Chapter 9 – Summation and Conclusions.- APPENDIX 1 – CRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF CRIMINAL.- JUSTICE LEGISLATION, PRIME MINISTERS, HOME&JUSTICE SECRETARIES 1945-2020.- APPENDIX 2 – COMMUNITY JUSTICE FORUMS – SUGGESTED COMPOSITION.- APPENDIX 3 – SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR SEMINAR.- DISCUSSION AND/OR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS.- Bibliography.- Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“In this book David Cornwell sets out the history of the prison system in England and Wales since 1945, and brings it right up to date. He traces the many shifts in political policy and criminal justice practice which have occurred, before and after the watershed riots of the 1990s. He sums all this up as the ‘failing processes’ of criminal justice and imprisonment. Recurring themes are the neglect and mismanagement of the penal estate, increasingly punitive criminal justice legislation pursued by successive governments, and the overcrowding of prisons despite clear evidence of the ineffectiveness of short custodial sentences. The author’s account is thoroughly researched, and engagingly written. In the final chapter of the book he makes sensible proposals for positive change. He recommends the setting up of a Royal Commission to address these entrenched issues as a way of rising above the partisan politics which, he says, has failed to offer solutions and has made the problems worse.This book is recommended for criminal justice researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners in the field, but it is also accessible to readers coming to this important subject for the first time”
- Martin Wasik CBE, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Justice, Keele University, UK.

"The problems of the English penal system are well documented, but David Cornwell’s book is a timely and original analysis of the failures of successive governments to tackle fundamental questions surrounding the growing prison population and high recidivism rates. Cornwell writes in a very engaging, lucid and authoritative style; his arguments are effectively marshalled and persuasively developed. The book is undoubtedly one of the best accounts of the evolution of penal policy in modern times and is highly recommended”

- Professor Jonathan Doak, Nottingham Trent University, UK.